


Night Fears

by meaghann



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-18
Updated: 2016-03-18
Packaged: 2018-05-27 10:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6280255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meaghann/pseuds/meaghann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phryne has fears she can't articulate and she needs her sleeping brain to help her out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Fears

There was a crisp bite in the air as the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher swooped out of the tearooms at the Windsor and waved to Margery Thomas on the way out. Their meeting had been most hospitable, with Margery agreeing to let Phryne see the volunteer roster for the Sunshine Ladies. They visited homebound invalids and the elderly, but someone had been thieving from the client list and Margery had begged Phryne to get involved.  
Her Hispano was brought immediately and she enjoyed the ride home in the autumn air, glorying in the cool breeze and the wonderful colours of the leaves. Something felt wrong as she pulled up at the house though; the windows seemed dark and no one answered her hellos as she went through the front door. Trying the switch in the hallway, she soon discovered that there was no power. The strange fluttery feeling was worse now. She moved into the sitting room and stood staring at the dust cloths over all the furniture. Everything was covered, and there were cobwebs hanging off of everything else. Her chest tightened in fear, how was this possible? A search of the rest of the house revealed more dust cloths and even worse, Mister Butler and Dot’s rooms were empty, bare of any furniture at all. Jane’s room was the same. She felt sick and cold looking at all this strangeness. She had to find Jack. Her drive to City South police station was at breakneck speed. Arriving there, she burst through the door and was confronted by a strange constable on the desk.  
“Where is Constable Collins? Never mind, is the Inspector in?” But before waiting for an answer, she went on through to Jack’s office and sitting behind the desk was an older man with black hair reading a report.  
“Where is Inspector Robinson? This is his office”  
“Excuse me madam, but you are mistaken, this is my office,” and he stood and went over to the door, pointing at the inscription which said that this was the office of Detective Inspector Conrad Forrester. “Now as to this Inspector Robinson, I’ve never heard of him, is he new?”  
Phryne felt lightheaded and sat down suddenly in the chair by the desk. How could everyone be gone and no one have heard of Jack? This must be some elaborate practical joke or she was losing her mind.  
“Madam, are you quite well? I can get you some tea if you like.”  
“No, just a momentary rest was required. I have simply come to the wrong station, Inspector. Thank you for your patience. I won’t bother you further.” She tried to sweep out of his office with as much drama as earlier at the hotel, but she didn’t have the energy to do it. She drove out to the foreshore and sat staring at the cold ocean, her mind whirling. How could there be no home, no Mr. Butler, no Dot, Jane was in school, but then worst of all no Jack? How could it be real? The answer she knew was that it couldn’t be real, it was not real. With a strange almost audible snap, the scene vanished and then suddenly she woke in a rush, sweating and shaking in her London flat. She threw on a dressing gown and rushed out into the sitting room.  
“Beatrice?”  
Her maid appeared from the kitchen drying her hands on a towel.  
“I need you to pack everything that I would need for a trip back to Australia. I’ll be arranging my transportation while you do that. Don’t worry about the house, Saunders can come and close it up. You’ll go back to working for my parents if that’s alright?” Phryne spoke in a rush and she knew she sounded on the edge of hysterical but she couldn’t seem to stop.  
“Yes, ma’am of course, but I’ll be sad to see you go” said Beatrice, who had been very cheerful at the prospect of being Phryne’s maid. This flustered whirlwind that her boss was right now, worried her, but if going back to Australia would help, she would pack her things and say farewell.  
“Needs must sweet Bea, you’ve been wonderful help. Perhaps someday you can come out to Australia.”  
“Oh no ma’am, I could never go that far.”  
Phryne laughed and started to make a list of what needed to be done. She felt a little more in control and checking the time, decided to on the extravagant expense of a phone call. The dream had rattled her badly.  
The voice on the other end answered after the operator had connected the call. “Hello?” and even that small word sent Phryne’s heart soaring.  
“Hello Jack, it’s your favourite lady detective”  
“Miss Fisher? Well this is a surprise; a new and expensive way to pester me at a distance. Did someone die in London and you want my help? Or are you wanting to nose into my cases from afar?”  
“No, I merely wanted to announce my return in case you missed me.” She was keeping the tone light, but couldn’t miss the indrawn breath on the other end.   
“I have been at loose ends without you. I’m afraid I must admit to needing you a great deal” he said quietly.  
“Then darling Jack, look for me in several weeks’ time. I’ll send a telegram to confirm it. Dot and Mr. B will open the house up and I’ll send them and Mac a telegram as well. We’ll have a party with Bert and Cec and Alice, and Hugh and Aunt Prudence and, well, everyone!”  
“Of course you will” and Phryne could hear the smile in his voice. “To Melbourne then, where never from London arrived a more happy woman,” and almost too quietly to hear “Phryne, my love”  
The call was over so quickly and Phryne had to be content with knowing she would be there soon. She had never felt so happy to be leaving as place as she was now.

The End

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow I needed to write this little tale so I went to it with a vengeance on my break at work.


End file.
